Holding arrangement for reed contacts

ABSTRACT

This device relates to a holding arrangement for reed contacts in a plastic body provided with oblong hole-shaped recesses into the upper half of which each time two oppositely directed flexible remaining portions project, of which respectively one is cut off.

mted States Patent 1 1 3,637,968 nigge 1 Jan. 25, 1972 HOLDING ARRANGEMENT FOR REED R f ren Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [721 Werner Knigge wdmh/Smww Germany 2,617,069 11/1952 Zorgman 174/167 x [73] Assignee: International Standard Electric Corpora- 2,903,627 9/ 1959 Mccal'vey 317/101 CF on, New York, NY 3,534,309 10/1970 Renskers 336/65 Filed: 1970 Primary Examiner-H. 0. Jones [211 App! No; 16,671 A!t0rr1ey-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr., Walter J. Baum, Percy P. Lantzy, .1. Warren Whitesel, Delbert P. Warner and James B. Raden [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 11, 1969 Germany ..P 19 12 297.5 [57] ABSTRACT This device relates to a holding arrangement for reed contacts [52] us. Cl. ..200/l68 R, 200/166 BH i a plastic body provided with oblong hole-shaped recesses [51] Int- Clinto the upper half of which each time two oppositely directed Field of Search loo/168 R, 166 166 flexible remaining portions project, of which respectively one 317/101 CC, 101 CP; 336/65; 174/167 is cutoff.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure PATENIEB JAI25 i872 INV EN TOR W. Knigge ATTORNEY HOLDING ARRANGEMENT FOR REED CONTACTS The present invention relates to a holding arrangement for reed contacts used in switches, pushbutton keys and the like.

To an increasing extent, it has become customary in the communications art to use hermetically sealed contacts instead of the open contacts. Quite depending on the case of practical application, different kinds of holding arrangements for the reed contacts have become known. Except for reed relays in which the contact tubes are arranged within the coils, the most simple holding arrangement is characterized by the fact that the two connecting terminals are soldered to the soldering terminals of a printed circuit, thus being simultaneously utilized as a mechanical mounting means, as far as lying contacts are concerned. In cases where the contacts are arranged in a standing up position, the terminals are soldered to two different parallel plates or else, in the absence of a second plate, the free terminal is connected to the plate or board with the aid of a connector strip, with this strip simultaneously being designed to serve as a holding arrangement for the reed contact.

Such types of mounting arrangements, however, are unsuitable for use in connection with switches and pushbutton keys, first for reasons of dimensioning and, second, because in most cases no circuit boards are available which are suitable for providing a sufficient fixing-in-position. It, therefore, is the object of the present invention, to provide a holding arrangement for reed contacts which is of a purely mechanical type and can also be used for individual pushbutton keys and switches. According to the present invention, this problem is solved in that in a body of plastic material, for each reed contact, there is provided one recess, with the lower half of the cross section thereof resembling that of an oblong hole, whereas two oppositely directed flexible remaining portions project into the upper half.

It is possible to achieve various advantages with this type of embodiment: Besides a reliable mechanical holding of the reed contact which is completely independent of its electrical connections, the arrangement, by randomly removing one of the two remaining portions, permits to insert the contact in one of two possible positions. In this way two contacts, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, can be brought into four positions differing from one another, thus permitting to vary the switching times as determined by the operational speed of the switching magnet (such as in the case of snap-action switches).

The invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows the plastic body as the starting material and FIGS. 2 and 3 show this body with each time two reed contacts inserted in different positions.

FIG. 1 illustrates the hole pattern of the plastics body 1 which may have outer contours adapted to the respective purpose, hence may either have the shape of a die-castor molded block of a punched strip, or may form part of another component, such as a pushbutton-key body. The depth of the body corresponds to almost one-third to one-half of the length of the reed contact (2) to be held in position. The cross section of the recesses 3 corresponds in the lower half 4 to that of an oblong hole, whereas two oppositely directed flexible remaining portions 6 project into the upper half 5, with the roots of these remaining portions appropriately lying somewhat outside the imaginary circular arc of the hole, so that these remaining portions, if so required can be easily cut off. The height of the recess 3 is adapted to the diameter of the reed contact.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show two different arrangements of each time two reed contacts 2 within the plastics body I. The shape of the recess 3 resembling that of an oblong hole, permits the in sertion of the contact 2 randomly either in the left-hand or in the right-hand half. The respective disturbing remaining portion 6 is cut off at 7, whereas the other remaining portion 6, when inserting the reed contact 2 will give way upwardly, and is clamped between the ceiling of the recess and the reed tube. In this way the reed contact 2 is given a very firm seating without impairing its easy interchangbeability.

In the arrangement according to [6. 2 the contacts 2 are arranged at the smallest spaced relation, and in the arrangement according to FIG. 3 they are arranged at the greatest spaced relation. It will be easily seen that when this arrangement is employed in a switch comprising a switching magnet which is moved to and fro between the reed contact 2, the switching time in the first case will be shorter than in the second case. Of course, both reed contacts 2 may also be arranged either on the right-hand or on the left-hand side of the recesses.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus and applications, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. An arrangement for holding reed contacts comprising a plastic body,

a plurality of recesses in said plastic body for receiving reed contacts,

said recesses including distinctly different upper and lower portions,

the lower portion of each recess resembling the shape of an oblong hole, and

the upper portion of each recess including two elongated portions projecting from opposite sides of the respective recess directly into the recess to provide uneven upper and lower recess portions.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim I, in which one of the elongated portions projecting into each recess is cut off, and

a reed contact is fitted tightly into the space between the remaining elongated portion and the side of the corresponding recess.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the elongated portions closest to each other in adjacent recesses are cut off, and

a reed contact is fitted tightly into the space between each remaining elongated portion and the side of the corresponding recess.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the elongated portions furthest from each other in adjacent recesses are cut off, and

a reed contact is fitted tightly into the space between each remaining elongated portion and the side of the corresponding recess. 

1. An arrangement for holding reed contacts comprising a plastic body, a plurality of recesses in said plastic body for receiving reed contacts, said recesses including distinctly different upper and lower portions, the lower portion of each recess resembling the shape of an oblong hole, and the upper portion of each recess including two elongated portions projecting from opposite sides of the respective recess directly into the recess to provide uneven upper and lower recess portions.
 2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which one of the elongated portions projecting into each recess is cut off, and a reed contact is fitted tightly into the space between the remaining elongated portion and the side of the corresponding recess.
 3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the elongated portions closest to each other in adjacent recesses are cut off, and a reed contact is fitted tightly into the space between each remaining elongated portion and the side of the corresponding recess.
 4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the elongated portions furthest from each other in adjacent recesses are cut off, and a reed contact is fitted tightly into the space between each remaining elongated portion and the side of the corresponding recess. 